mt36

I’ve always been a firm believer of ‘you reap what you sow’ in life. You only get back what you put in and all that. However I’d started to lose faith in that notion; that was until late afternoon on the 14th September while I stood in the Italian countryside. I’ll level with you, I’ve had a bad year, no not even a bad a year, an atrociously bad year, in fact I can categorically go as far as to say it’s been the worse of my life. I’ll spare you the details and reasons why but trust me on this it hasn’t been plain sailing at all.

Every time I just about muster the strength to get on my hands and knees from being flat out on the floor, life just seems to be stood over me casting a big black shadow and then lays it’s hefty size ten boot right back into my rib cage. After a while you just start to think what’s the point of getting up? – literally. Just finding the motivation to get out of bed has been hard of late, the comfort and safety of just staying there seemed to be the safest place to be to avoid another kicking. I’ve been looking around for a helping hand and then just like that David Philippaerts put out his and helped me pull myself up off the ground.

As he crossed the line to claim his first motocross world championship, threw the bike down and went in to a crazed dance move like a pissed up uncle at a family wedding the reality of it all hit home nearly as much for me as it did for David himself. I don’t mind admitting I shed a tear but it was probably more the epiphany I myself was experiencing, the sudden realisation that hard work and self belief does eventually pay off. I stood there while others ran riot to get to Philippaerts and share his moment and yet for that brief second I was probably closer to him than they could ever get. Without even realising it and having never spoken to the man he’d given me back something to believe in. Philippaerts has fought tooth and nail for the championship and ultimately has been rewarded, he’s definitely a worthy champion in my eyes and now like him I refuse to quit, when for all too long I’ve had my doubts. He’s become an inspiration to me.

There may have been a sub conscious reason why the trigger on the emotional gun was pulled and blew my brain wide open and yet seemingly brought me back to life. I was at the French GP back in June, in person but not in mind. I was floating around the pit lane in a bit of a daze when Philippaerts came storming into the pits, collapsed in a heap on the ground in front of me and burst into tears. His girlfriend Alice who also had tears rolling down her cheeks did her utmost to console him as they felt the championship start to slip out of the now, one injured hand he already had on the title. Again it was pretty emotional stuff and I totally related to it at the time. He looked desperately frustrated, with that look of ‘what just happened?’ written all across his face. You know the one where the wheels just fall off for no reason. Christ knows how his Yamaha team-mate Josh Coppins must’ve felt in Loket the year before.

And yet here we were several months later after more trials and tribulations with the ultimate reward. Not a world championship for David but the overwhelming feeling that you should never stop believing in yourself.

Thanks. - Jeff

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